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Payson Ranger District plans to burn to improve forest health, reduce risk of wildfire
Tonto National Forest firefighters will conduct a 5,465-acre fuel treatment project on the Payson Ranger District beginning April 16 to May 3, 2024.
The Diamond Point / Pyeatt Draw prescribed fire will occur on Diamond Rim near Diamond Point Summer Homes and Diamond Point Lookout. Fire experts will ignite surface fuels such as ponderosa pine, juniper and shrubs under specified weather conditions.
These treatments modify wildfire behavior and effects by reducing surface fuels (dead vegetation on the forest floor such as branches or needles from ponderosa pine and juniper) and ladder fuels (small- to medium-sized trees with low-lying branches as well as shrubs that can carry fire from the ground into the tree canopy). In turn, this helps protect communities from extreme fires.
Prescribed fires support land management objectives by improving plant and wildlife habitat to increase biodiversity for wildlife corridors. Prescribed fires also help protect culturally significant native foods and plants, improve timber stands and recreational opportunities, and reduce the threat of invasive species on the landscape.
The planned burn also will improve the Ellison Creek watershed by reducing ground fuels and the risk of a large-scale wildland fire. Burned watersheds are prone to increased flooding and erosion, which can negatively affect water-supply reservoirs, water quality, and drinking-water treatment processes.
Smoke from the Diamond Point / Pyeatt Draw prescribed fire will be visible from State Routes 87 and 260 as well as Forest Service Roads 198 and 65 on neighboring national forests. Smoke will impact the following communities: Diamond Point Summer Homes, Ellison Creek Summer Homes, Ellison Creek Estates, Meads Ranch, Tonto Village, Bonita Creek Estates, Freedom Acres, Beaver Valley Estates, Whispering Pines, Thompson Draw Summer Homes Units 1 and 2, Diamond Point Shadows, Star Valley, and Payson. Residual smoke will remain in the air for several days after the final ignitions.
Forest Service officials urge the public to stay out of the project area and use caution when driving nearby to ensure the safety of fire management crews.
This upcoming prescribed fire supports the Four Forest Restoration Initiative. Commonly referred to as 4FRI, this landscape-level effort is restoring the structure, pattern, composition, and health of fire-adapted ponderosa pine ecosystems across 2.4 million acres in northern Arizona. The project uses a full suite of restoration approaches that are carried out by Forest Service personnel, partners, volunteers, and contractors. Additionally, the Forest Service consults with 17 Native American Tribes, as well as 10 Navajo Nation chapters on 4FRI.
Fuels reduction projects are part of the USDA Forest Service’s overarching wildfire crisis strategy to reduce wildfire risk to people, communities, and natural resources while sustaining and restoring healthy, resilient fire-adapted forests. For more information about the Forest Service’s 10-year strategy to address the wildfire crisis, visit the Confronting the Wildfire Crisis web page.
For additional information about this project, contact the Payson Ranger Station located at 1009 E. Highway 260, Payson, Arizona. Or phone the station at (928) 474-7900 Monday – Friday between 8 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. and from 1:30 - 4:30 p.m.
For the latest news and information about the Tonto National Forest, follow along on Facebook @TontoNationalForest or Twitter @TontoForest.
unnamed (15).jpgYavapai County Office of Emergency Management Launches New Website
The Yavapai County Office of Emergency Management (YCOEM) is pleased to announce the launch of its new user-friendly website, designed to provide residents with a quicker and simpler way to access information and enhance their ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies and disasters.
The website is now live and accessible at www.yavapaiready.gov. This comprehensive online platform offers a wide range of resources to help residents stay prepared and informed. Key features of the website include:
1. Comprehensive Guide to Preparedness: The website provides a comprehensive guide to personal and family preparedness.
2. Emergency Information and Actions: Residents can find current emergency information and specific actions to take during various emergencies.
3. Recovery Resources: In the aftermath of a disaster, the website offers a dedicated section on recovery resources. This includes guidance on clean-up efforts, information on financial assistance, and assistance for individuals returning home after a disaster.
4. Local News and Updates: Stay up to date with recent news and updates on local disasters and emergencies through the website's news section.
5. RAVE Prepare Registration: The website provides a link for residents to sign up for RAVE Prepare, a web-based citizen-powered access and functional needs registry.
6. Genasys Protect: Information on Genasys Protect, our new evacuation zone system. The public can view all emergency advisories, warnings, and orders in Yavapai County. It also allows the public to view incident-specific evacuation points, Red Cross shelters, animal shelters, road closures, sandbag stations, and other resources.
7. Community and Volunteer Resources: A centralized hub for community and volunteer resources. It serves as a platform to connect residents with local organizations, volunteer opportunities, and additional support services that contribute to community resilience.
"Launching yavapaiready.gov represents a significant step forward in our mission to enhance resilience and preparedness in Yavapai County," stated Ashley Ahlquist, Emergency Manager "This website is more than a tool; it's a lifeline for our community, offering plenty of resources tailored to enhance preparedness, response, and recovery efforts."
Residents are encouraged to visit www.yavapaiready.gov and take advantage of the wealth of resources available. By proactively accessing this information, individuals can better prepare for emergencies and ensure the safety and well-being of themselves, their families, and their community
For information about the Yavapai County Community Office of Emergency Management, please contact Sarah Townsley at 928-771-3321 or email [email protected]. Or visit www.yavapaiready.gov
Small Burns Planned as part of Annual Basin Operation Drill
The annual multi agency Basin Operation Drill is planned for April 12-13, 2024 in the Groom Creek area south of Prescott, Arizona (T 12 ½ N, R2 W, Sec 23). The drill will involve the Prescott National Forest, Central Arizona Fire and Medical Authority, City of Prescott Fire, Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, Bureau of Land Management and many other emergency response agencies including Yavapai County Office of Emergency Management, Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office, and several volunteer organizations. The annual basin operations drill provides all participants an opportunity to train together, and test communication systems and equipment in preparation for the upcoming wildfire season.
For training purposes, fire managers will ignite three to six small fires over the two days pending favorable weather conditions. Smoke will be visible in the immediate areas of the burn activity, including portions of Forest Road 79, Forest Road 80, Senator Highway, and Whispering Pines Camp. In the interest of safety, forest visitors are reminded to obey all traffic signs and use caution when traveling in the vicinity of the prescribed fire burn units as firefighters and fire-related traffic will be in the area.
Media who would like to attend the live fire portion of the drill on Friday, April 12, 2024 will need to contact Prescott NF Fire Prevention Specialist Ansgar Mitchell at (928) 713-6349 by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 11, 2024.
For fire information please call (928) 925-1111; or stay up to date on Prescott National Forest news by checking the Prescott NF website and following us on Facebook and Twitter/X
West Escudilla Pile Burn planned on Springerville Ranger District
The Springerville Ranger District will continue planning prescribed fire pile burn efforts across 500 acres within the West Escudilla pinyon-juniper treatment units. Recent weather has provided ideal conditions and fire managers will look for opportunities to initiate burning between April 8 and April 30, 2024. The project area is located approximately 10 to15 miles southeast of Springerville-Eagar.
Winter is an optimal time to burn piled slash and woody debris because snow on the ground keeps the fire from spreading to adjacent vegetation. Encroaching junipers were thinned to decrease tree density and canopy cover, and to prevent regrowth of new juniper to restore the fuel type to
grassland, its original fire regime. A ‘fire regime’ is the term given to the general pattern in which fires naturally occur in a particular ecosystem over an extended period of time.
Smoke from these prescribed fire pile burns is expected to be minimal but may impact Highways 60 and 180/191 and the communities of Springerville-Eagar. Drivers are cautioned that visibility may be reduced, especially in the overnight hours when smoke settles near the ground.
Each prescribed fire is designed to accomplish specific objectives and is managed with firefighter and public safety as the highest priority. Fire managers use prescribed fire to improve forest health, remove hazardous fuels, increase firefighter safety, enhance wildlife habitat, and protect communities and watersheds. Landscape treatments on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests align with the Forest Service's 10-year Wildfire Crisis Strategy, which aims to increase the use of fire on the landscape and other treatments to improve forest health.
Air quality information is available at https://www.airnow.gov/. Visit the A-S National Forests website and follow us on Facebook and X (Twitter).
A photo of the West Escudilla pile burn April 5 2024.jpgPile Burn Project At Picacho Peak State Park Thursday
Starting Thursday, April 4, 2024, the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management (DFFM) begins a one-day pile burn operation at Picacho Peak State Park outside of Eloy. Over the past few years, DFFM has been collaborating with Arizona State Parks and Trails to help with their wildfire risk reduction projects at various parks throughout the state.
Arizona State Parks and Trails conducts the routine, on-going vegetative maintenance and DFFM provides the qualified resources to burn off the piles. Pile burning provides a more efficient way to reduce leftover fuel from hand or mechanical treatments and helps further safeguard the park and nearby communities.
DFFM project managers plan to begin ignitions at 10:00 am with no impact to park visitors. Due to the location of the park, this project will be highly visible to drivers along Interstate 10, southeast of Eloy. Smoke is expected to drift to the north/northeast and may affect the highway. Drivers should use caution in the area. Crews and an engine will monitor the project through the weekend.
All prescribed fire operations must have prior approval from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. Unfavorable weather can also delay or cancel burns out of public and firefighter safety. Once ignitions begin, notifications will be made on DFFM’s Facebook and X pages and through the agency’s mobile phone application. That app can be downloaded at https://www.apexmobile.net/app/azdffm/.
For more information, contact Tiffany Davila at 602-540-1036 or by email at [email protected]
SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans Available to Arizona Small Businesses
Small nonfarm businesses in 15 Arizona counties and neighboring counties in Colorado, New Mexico and Utah are now eligible to apply for low‑interest federal disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration, announced Francisco Sánchez Jr., associate administrator for the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the Small Business Administration. These loans offset economic losses because of reduced revenues caused by drought in the following primary counties that began Jan. 1, 2024.
- Primary Arizona counties: Apache, Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, Maricopa, Navajo, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz and Yavapai;
- Neighboring Arizona counties: La Paz, Mohave and Yuma;
- Neighboring Colorado county: Montezuma;
- Neighboring New Mexico counties: Catron, Cibola, Grant, Hidalgo, McKinley and San Juan
- Neighboring Utah counties: Kane and San Juan.
“SBA eligibility covers both the economic impacts on businesses dependent on farmers and ranchers that have suffered agricultural production losses caused by the disaster and businesses directly impacted by the disaster,” Sánchez said.
Small nonfarm businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations of any size may qualify for Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $2 million to help meet financial obligations and operating expenses which could have been met had the disaster not occurred.
“Eligibility for these loans is based on the financial impact of the disaster only and not on any actual property damage. These loans have an interest rate of 4 percent for businesses and 3.25 percent for private nonprofit organizations, a maximum term of 30 years and are available to small businesses and most private nonprofits without the financial ability to offset the adverse impact without hardship,” Sánchez said.
Interest does not begin to accrue until 12 months from the date of the initial disaster loan disbursement. SBA disaster loan repayment begins 12 months from the date of the first disbursement.
By law, SBA makes Economic Injury Disaster Loans available when the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture designates an agricultural disaster. The Secretary declared this disaster on March 25, 2024.
Businesses primarily engaged in farming or ranching are not eligible for SBA disaster assistance. Agricultural enterprises should contact the Farm Services Agency about the U.S. Department of Agriculture assistance made available by the Secretary’s declaration. However, nurseries are eligible for SBA disaster assistance in drought disasters.
Applicants may apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information at SBA.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email [email protected] for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
The deadline to apply for economic injury is Nov. 25, 2024.
SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans Available to Small Businesses; Neighboring Arizona Counties Now Eligible
Small nonfarm businesses in 20 Colorado counties and neighboring counties in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah are now eligible to apply for low‑interest federal disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration, announced Francisco Sánchez Jr., associate administrator for the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the Small Business Administration. These loans offset economic losses because of reduced revenues caused by drought in the following primary counties that began Nov. 1, 2023.
Primary Colorado counties:
- Alamosa
- Archuleta
- Conejos
- Costilla
- Hinsdale
- Huerfano
- La Plata
- Mineral
- Montezuma
- Rio Grande
- Saguache
Neighboring Colorado counties:
- Chaffee
- Custer
- Dolores
- Fremont
- Gunnison
- Las Animas
- Ouray
- Pueblo
- San Juan
Neighboring Arizona county:
- Apache
Neighboring New Mexico counties:
- Colfax
- Rio Arriba
- San Juan
- Taos
Neighboring Utah county:
- San Juan
“SBA eligibility covers both the economic impacts on businesses dependent on farmers and ranchers that have suffered agricultural production losses caused by the disaster and businesses directly impacted by the disaster,” Sánchez said.
Small nonfarm businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations of any size may qualify for Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $2 million to help meet financial obligations and operating expenses which could have been met had the disaster not occurred.
“Eligibility for these loans is based on the financial impact of the disaster only and not on any actual property damage. These loans have an interest rate of 4 percent for businesses and 3.25 percent for private nonprofit organizations, a maximum term of 30 years and are available to small businesses and most private nonprofits without the financial ability to offset the adverse impact without hardship,” Sánchez said.
Interest does not begin to accrue until 12 months from the date of the initial disaster loan disbursement. SBA disaster loan repayment begins 12 months from the date of the first disbursement.
By law, SBA makes Economic Injury Disaster Loans available when the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture designates an agricultural disaster. The Secretary declared this disaster on March 25.
Businesses primarily engaged in farming or ranching are not eligible for SBA disaster assistance. Agricultural enterprises should contact the Farm Services Agency about the U.S. Department of Agriculture assistance made available by the Secretary’s declaration. However, nurseries are eligible for SBA disaster assistance in drought disasters.
Applicants may apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information at SBA.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email [email protected] for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
The deadline to apply for economic injury is Nov. 25, 2024.
SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans Available to Small Businesses
Small nonfarm businesses in New Mexico and neighboring counties in
Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah are eligible
Small nonfarm businesses in 33 New Mexico counties and neighboring counties in Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah are now eligible to apply for low‑interest federal disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration, announced Francisco Sánchez Jr., associate administrator for the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the Small Business Administration. These loans offset economic losses because of reduced revenues caused by drought in the following primary counties that began Nov. 1, 2023.
- Primary New Mexico counties: Bernalillo, Catron, Chaves, Cibola, Colfax, Curry, De Baca, Doña Ana,
- Eddy, Grant, Guadalupe, Harding, Hidalgo, Lea, Lincoln, Los Alamos, Luna, Mckinley, Mora, Otero, Quay, Rio Arriba, Roosevelt, San Juan, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Sierra, Socorro, Taos, Torrance, Union and Valencia;
- Neighboring Arizona counties: Apache, Cochise and Greenlee;
- Neighboring Colorado counties: Archuleta, Baca, Conejos, Costilla, La Plata, Las Animas and Montezuma;
- Neighboring Oklahoma county: Cimarron;
- Neighboring Texas counties: Andrews, Bailey, Cochran, Culberson, Dallam, Deaf Smith, El Paso, Gaines, Hartley, Hudspeth, Loving, Oldham, Parmer, Reeves, Winkler and Yoakum;
- Neighboring Utah county: San Juan.
“SBA eligibility covers both the economic impacts on businesses dependent on farmers and ranchers that have suffered agricultural production losses caused by the disaster and businesses directly impacted by the disaster,” Sánchez said.
Small nonfarm businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations of any size may qualify for Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $2 million to help meet financial obligations and operating expenses which could have been met had the disaster not occurred.
“Eligibility for these loans is based on the financial impact of the disaster only and not on any actual property damage. These loans have an interest rate of 4 percent for businesses and 3.25 percent for private nonprofit organizations, a maximum term of 30 years and are available to small businesses and most private nonprofits without the financial ability to offset the adverse impact without hardship,” Sánchez said.
Interest does not begin to accrue until 12 months from the date of the initial disaster loan disbursement. SBA disaster loan repayment begins 12 months from the date of the first disbursement.
By law, SBA makes Economic Injury Disaster Loans available when the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture designates an agricultural disaster. The Secretary declared this disaster on March 25.
Businesses primarily engaged in farming or ranching are not eligible for SBA disaster assistance. Agricultural enterprises should contact the Farm Services Agency about the U.S. Department of Agriculture assistance made available by the Secretary’s declaration. However, nurseries are eligible for SBA disaster assistance in drought disasters.
Applicants may apply online and receive additional disaster assistance information at SBA.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email [email protected] for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.
The deadline to apply for economic injury is Nov. 25, 2024.
Prescribed Fire Project Starts Wednesday in Far West Valley
Starting Wednesday, the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management (DFFM) starts a two-day prescribed fire project near Buckeye, east of State Route 85, in Maricopa County. The Robbins Butte Pile Project is a 10-acre pile burn to reduce leftover debris from previous fuels reduction work in the area.
DFFM’s hand crews plan to start ignitions at 10:00 a.m. on both Wednesday, March 27, and Thursday, March 28, to allow for adequate smoke ventilation and reduce any potential smoke impacts to nearby communities. Ignitions on both days may last through the early afternoon. This project will be very visible to the Buckeye-area and drivers along State Route 85 due to the vegetation type within the piles. Upon completion of the project, an engine will patrol and monitor the area through the weekend.
The Robbins Butte Pile Project is a collaborative effort between DFFM and the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD). The overall goal of the project is to remove invasive species like Tamarisk, better known as Salt Cedar, to decrease the wildfire threat and improve wildlife habitat within the Robbins Butte Wildlife Area, managed by AZGFD. DFFM awarded AZGFD a grant for project work through the department’s Invasive Plant Grant Program. The project work outlined the need for mechanical treatment of 33 acres of dense Salt Cedar stands among other nuisance vegetation. As part of the project scope, the debris was to be piled for qualified resources to burn off. Pile burning is a more effective method of reducing leftover vegetation.
Prior to ignitions, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality must approve all prescribed fire projects, both pile and broadcast burns. Prescribed fires are also weather dependent and can be cancelled or rescheduled due to unfavorable conditions and out of firefighter or public safety concerns. Prescribed fire ignition notification is available on DFFM’s X page: https://twitter.com/azstateforestry and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/arizonaforestry/. DFFM also makes notifications via the agency’s mobile phone application. To download the free app visit: https://www.apexmobile.net/app/azdffm/. For more information, contact Tiffany Davila at (602) 540-1036 or by email at [email protected]
Prescribed fires planned on Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests
Fire managers and district rangers on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests are looking for appropriate conditions to continue to conduct prescribed fires during the Spring months.
The timing for our prescribed fires to be safely implemented is between March and May. Crews are assessing current weather conditions to make determinations on whether they are appropriate for prescribed fire activity. Individual news releases for each prescribed fire will be distributed in advance and as fire managers and district rangers narrow down the date for ignitions for each prescribed fire based upon onsite conditions. If fuel moisture, temperature, wind, or humidity are not within the burn plan prescription, the project will be canceled.
The list of potential projects follows:
Alpine Ranger District
- Wallow West Unit 4 East (5,746 acres) – approximately 18 miles southwest of Alpine
Black Mesa Ranger District
- Hidden 2 (360 acres) – 1.5 miles west of Forest Lakes
Clifton Ranger District
- EEMS Phase 1 Block C (12,008 acres) – Southwest of Blue Vista Overlook
- Mesa Re-Entry (8,767 acres) – approximately 16 air miles north or Morence
Springerville Ranger District
- Whiting Rx (800 acres) – 4 miles north of Greens Peak
- Wallow West 6A (2,100 acres) – approximately 12 miles southwest of Springerville-Eagar
Lakeside Ranger District
- Doyle (354 acres) – 1 mile southwest of Vernon
- Ortega (1,900 acres) – 1 mile southwest of Vernon
- 260 (696 acres) – 1 mile west of Linden
- Bear (1,321 acres) – 2 miles south of Pinedale
- Yellow Jacket (1,186 acres) – 2 miles south of Pinedale
Escalating wildfire danger is threatening millions of acres and numerous communities across the United States. To address this problem, the 10-year Wildfire Crisis Strategy was initiated in 2022 to treat up to an additional 20 million acres of National Forest System lands and an additional 30 million acres of other federal, state, tribal, and private lands. Our land management strategy is centered on long-term forest health, including reducing forest fuels and using prescribed fire on the landscape.
All prescribed fires planned and implemented on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests will incorporate the guidance in the Forest Service Chief’s National Prescribed Fire Program Review, including using the most recent science and modeling, ensuring contingency resources are more readily available, integrating drought monitoring, increasing patrols, and completing a daily go/ no-go evaluation of conditions. A final decision on whether to proceed with a specific prescribed fire will depend on agency administrator approval, resource availability, fuel moisture levels, air quality and forecast weather. Prescribed fires are designed to meet specific objectives and are always managed with firefighter and public safety as the priority.
Prescribed fires are an effective tool for restoring fire-dependent ecosystems and reducing the risk of high-severity wildfires. Fire managers use prescribed fire to improve forest health, remove hazardous fuels, increase firefighter safety, enhance wildlife habitat, and protect communities and watersheds.
Air quality information is available at www.airnow.gov/
Further information will be provided as it becomes available. Visit the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests website at www.fs.usda.gov/asnf, and follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/apachesitgreavesnfs
R03_APS_PlannedPrescribedBurnAreas_Spring2024 (1).jpg
Prescribed fire planned for public lands on the Arizona Strip
To decrease the risk of future wildfires and protect cultural and natural resources, the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Arizona Strip District is planning to burn slash debris located 75 miles south of St. George, Utah near Twin Point. Depending upon conditions, the burns will begin mid March 2024 and last through April 2024 if weather and fuel conditions allow.
The Twin Points slash/debris treatment will take place along the BLM 1019 Road, south of Oak Grove Cabin and west of Mt. Dellenbaugh. This prescribed fire treatment will focus on reducing slash that was previously cut and scattered as part of a vegetation reduction treatment focusing on encroaching pinyon-juniper trees. Thinning and burning juniper helps open and improve wildlife corridors and helps to lessen the intensity of unplanned wildfires and their impacts.
To ensure public safety, BLM firefighters will conduct the treatment only when weather conditions are conducive to safely burn. They will remain on scene to monitor public and resource safety.
Visitors to this region of the Arizona Strip may see some light smoke during the burn operation. Smoke emissions will be managed in accordance with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality regulations. No local road closures are expected but public access may be restricted during ignition to ensure public safety. Signs will be posted to notify the public. Please use caution when traveling near the project area. If a member of the public is intending to camp, hunt, or recreate on the Arizona Strip, they are advised to call the BLM public lands information center at 435-688-3200, for information on potential prescribed fires in the area.
Follow @BLMArizona on Twitter, Facebook, and Flickr
Twin_Point_Rx_Map_3_20_2024 (1).pngPotential for Above Average Fire Activity in Certain Areas of State Due to Increased Fuel Loading
The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management (DFFM) along with the Bureau of Land Management, the US Forest Service, and local cooperating fire agencies brief with Governor Katie Hobbs about the upcoming wildland fire season and outlook for the summer months.
DFFM Fire Management Officer John Truett presented the outlook to the Governor and her staff followed by a presentation to the media during a press conference on Monday. This year, and due to heavy fuel loading, fire behavior analysts report the potential for higher-than-normal activity in particular parts of Arizona. Areas south of the Mogollon Rim, within the Tonto National Forest and across the Sonoran Desert landscapes, down into the Catalinas, and into Cochise County may see increased fire activity due to the amount of grass and brush in those areas. The potential exists for quick ignitions and rapid moving wildfire within the areas of heavy fine fuel where winds and terrain can influence fire behavior making it challenging for firefighters to contain. “Those parts of the state have more than double the amount of fuel loading as in years past due to winter rains over the last few years. As we move into spring, and as drier and warmer conditions follow, that fuel dries out very quickly. Areas within the Sonoran Desert and into southern Arizona could see an uptick in fire activity with fires spreading very rapidly,” said DFFM Fire Management Officer John Truett.
As for the high country, fire behavior analysts report a delayed start to fire season due to the existing snowpack. However, unlike last year, that snowpack may melt sooner as warm temperatures enter the state. Forecasters say by May Arizona could see the start of our typical summer pattern of hot and dry conditions. Those conditions can signal the start of Arizona’s fire season.
In 2023, firefighters responded to 1,837 fires on State, Federal, and Tribal lands. Those fires burned approximately 188,000 acres with 71% reported as human-caused. Last year, Arizona’s largest fire, the Pilot Fire started on July 1, east of Wikieup, within the Mohon Mountains. It reached 34,810 acres before firefighters could call it 100% contained on August 12, more than one month after it started.
Next Monday, March 25, Southwest Wildfire Awareness Week kicks off in Arizona and New Mexico with this year’s theme: A Time for Action. The week helps amplify wildfire prevention and outreach messaging prior to the states’ critical fire timeframes. To promote the week, DFFM and partners will focus on increased social media messaging, public service announcements, and public outreach events. “A Time for Action” signifies getting homeowners to start creating defensible space around homes and around properties.
DFFM and its federal and tribal partners work annually conducing fuels reduction and prescribed burn projects to reduce the wildfire risk around communities. Home repair, seasonal cleanup, taking care of plants, and removing trash and debris from around the home are just a few ways to prepare your home for wildfire. This year, DFFM also unveils a new marketing campaign at gas stations aimed at reducing roadside fires and other prevention information.
For additional fire prevention or community protection tips, visit wildlandfire.az.gov or Firewise USA. Download DFFM’s free mobile phone application from the iTunes or Google Play stores for important resources, such as wildfire smoke forecasts, wildfire and fire prevention information, forestry content and much more. For more information, contact Tiffany Davila at 602-540-1036 or by email at [email protected]
Springerville Ranger District plans Whiting prescribed fire
The Springerville Ranger District on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests plan to begin ignitions on the Whiting prescribed fire during the next available window of favorable weather conditions, potentially on March 18, 2024 through March 31, 2024. The prescribed fire unit is approximately 10 miles southeast of Vernon, near the Whiting homestead, and west of Forest Road 117.
The Whiting prescribed fire project will aide in cleaning up dry climate grasses, ponderosa pine and the mixed conifer understory. Fire managers will work to mitigate impacts to values at risk within the unit that include nearby communities, private property, heritage sites, rangelands, and wildlife. Recent
precipitation, cooler temperatures, and relative humidity recoveries are in alignment to produce low intensity fire behavior.
Smoke may impact the communities of Vernon and Springerville-Eagar, nearby private properties, and Highway 60. Drivers are cautioned that visibility may be reduced, especially in the overnight hours when smoke tends to form an inversion layer as it settles near the ground.
Information on air quality is available at https://www.airnow.gov/.
Visit the A-S National Forests website and follow us on Facebook and X (Twitter).
West Escudilla Pile Burn planned on Springerville Ranger District
The Springerville Ranger District will continue planning prescribed fire pile burn efforts across 500 acres within the West Escudilla pinyon-juniper
treatment units. Encroaching junipers were thinned to decrease tree density and canopy cover, and to prevent regrowth of new juniper to restore the fuel type to grassland, its original fire regime. A ‘fire regime’ is the term given to the general pattern in which fires naturally occur in a particular ecosystem over an extended period of time.
Winter is an optimal time to burn piled slash and woody debris because snow on the ground keeps the fire from spreading to adjacent vegetation. Recent weather has provided ideal conditions and fire managers will look for opportunities to initiate burning between March 18th through March 31st,
2024.
The project area is located 10-15 miles southwest of Springerville-Eagar. Smoke from these prescribed fire pile burns is expected to be minimal but may impact Highways 60 and 180/191 and the communities of Springerville-Eagar. Drivers are cautioned that visibility may be reduced, especially in the overnight hours when smoke settles near the ground.
Each prescribed fire is designed to accomplish specific objectives and is managed with firefighter and public safety as the highest priority. Fire managers use prescribed fire to improve forest health, remove hazardous fuels, increase firefighter safety, enhance wildlife habitat, and protect communities and watersheds. Landscape treatments on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests align with the Forest Service's 10-year Wildfire Crisis Strategy, which aims to increase the use of fire on the landscape and other treatments to improve forest health.
Air quality information is available at https://www.airnow.gov/. Visit the A-S National Forests website and follow us on Facebook and X (Twitter).
A map of the West Escudilla PJ Phase pile burn March 15 2024.jpgBlack Mesa Admin Piles Burn on Black Mesa Ranger District
The Black Mesa Ranger District is planning prescribed fire pile burns across 10 acres at Camp Shadow Pines, which is approximately 3.5 miles southwest of Heber. Pile burning is to reduce hazardous fuel accumulation returning the landscape to a more fire-resistant condition in line with the Forest Service’s Wildfire Crisis Strategy. Encroaching pine and juniper were thinned to decrease tree density and canopy cover, and to prevent regrowth of new pine and juniper to restore the fuel type to grassland, its original fire regime. A ‘fire regime’ is the term given to the general pattern in which fires naturally occur
in a particular ecosystem over an extended period of time.
Winter is an optimal time to burn piled slash and woody debris because snow on the ground keeps the fire from spreading to adjacent vegetation. Recent weather has provided ideal conditions and fire managers will look for opportunities to initiate burning between March 14, 2024 through the end of the month.
The project area is located 3.5 miles southwest of Heber, Arizona. Smoke from these prescribed fire pile burns is expected to be minimal but may impact Highway 260 and the communities of Heber-Overgaard. Drivers are cautioned that visibility may be reduced, especially in the overnight hours when smoke settles near the ground.
Each prescribed fire is designed to accomplish specific objectives and is managed with firefighter and public safety as the highest priority. Fire managers use prescribed fire to improve forest health, remove hazardous fuels, increase firefighter safety, enhance wildlife habitat, and protect communities and watersheds. Landscape treatments on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests align with the Forest Services 10-year Wildfire Crisis Strategy, which aims to increase the use of fire on the landscape and other treatments to improve forest health.
Air quality information is available at https://www.airnow.gov/. Visit the A-S National Forests website and follow us on Facebook and X (Twitter).
Mesa Ranger District plans pile burn to reduce wildfire risk to the Goldfield Estates community
Tonto National Forest fire officials are planning a prescribed pile burn on the Mesa Ranger District around Goldfield Estates beginning March 19-20, 2024.
The purpose of this project is to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire to the community of Goldfield Estates by removing natural hazardous fuels that have built up adjacent to the property boundary and national forest system land. This fuel reduction operation will alleviate the area of dead vegetation while maintaining healthy native trees and shrubs.
“We need to provide a barrier free of hazardous fuels for our firefighters to safely engage in suppression operations to protect the community in the event of a wildfire,” said Mesa Fire Management Officer Chris Loxterman.
The pile burns will be conducted near State Route 87, between mile markers 194 and 197, both north and south bound. Motorist should expect to see smoke and use caution when travel through the area. Pile burning mitigates potential smoke impacts to areas by reducing the amount and duration of smoke in the air.
Prescribed fire operations are part of the USDA Forest Service’s overarching wildfire crisis strategy to reduce wildfire risk to people, communities, critical infrastructure and natural resources while sustaining and restoring healthy, resilient fire-adapted forests. Visit the Confronting the Wildfire Crisis webpage for information about the USDA Forest Service’s 10-year strategy to address the wildfire crisis and learn about the additional $500 million allocated by the Biden-Harris Administration to reduce the risk of wildfires to communities, critical infrastructure and natural resources from the nation’s ongoing wildfire crisis.
For additional information, contact the Mesa Ranger Station located at 5140 E. Ingram Street, Mesa, Arizona, or contact the station at (480) 610-3300 Monday – Friday between 8 a.m. and noon and from 12:30 - 4:30 p.m.
For the latest news and information about the Tonto National Forest, follow along on Facebook @TontoNationalForest or X (formally Twitter) @TontoForest.
Goldfield Estates Pile Burn.jpg
Measles cases reported in Coconino County
One confirmed and one probable case of measles has been reported in Coconino County. Coconino County Health and Human Services (CCHHS) is actively conducting disease surveillance and has identified five public locations where people may have been exposed to measles as a result of these cases.
Individuals who were at the following locations at the listed dates and times may have been exposed and should monitor for measles symptoms and contact their healthcare provider if they develop symptoms:
Planet Fitness, 4650 US Hwy 89, Flagstaff, AZ:
- Sunday, February 11 from 11 p.m. to Monday, February 12 at 9 a.m.
NextCare Urgent Care, 399 S Malpais Ln STE 100, Flagstaff, AZ
- unday, February 18
Joann Fabric and Craft, 1514 S Riordan Ranch Rd, Flagstaff AZ
- Thursday, February 29 from 12 – 4 p.m.
Flagstaff Medical Center, Emergency Department, 1200 N Beaver St, Flagstaff, AZ
- Sunday, March 3
- Tuesday, March 5
SimonMed Imaging, Flagstaff, 1000 N Humphreys St #100, Flagstaff, AZ
- Monday, March 4
The symptoms of measles generally appear about 7-21 days after a person is exposed, and include:
- High fever (> 101°F)
- Cough
- Feeling run down, achy (malaise)
- Red, watery eyes (conjunctivitis)
- Runny nose
- Blotchy rash
Individuals with a fever and rash are advised to see a healthcare provider immediately. Healthcare providers who treat a suspected measles case should notify CCHHS or Arizona Department of Health Services within 24 hours.
“Unvaccinated individuals are at highest risk of developing the disease if exposed. The best protection against measles is to receive the measles vaccine,” CCHHS Director Kim Musselman said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the MMR vaccine to protect against measles, mumps, and rubella. Children should get two doses of MMR vaccine, starting with the first dose at 12 to 15 months of age, and the second dose at 4 through 6 years of age. Teens and adults should also be up to date on their MMR vaccination. About 30% of measles cases develop serious complications, including pneumonia, ear infections encephalitis, and respiratory and neurologic complications. Measles is a highly contagious viral illness that causes fever and rash. It is spread through the air by an infected person breathing, coughing, or sneezing.
About 1 in 5 unvaccinated people in the U.S. who get measles are hospitalized. Measles may cause pregnant women who have not had the MMR vaccine to give birth prematurely or have a low-birth-weight baby.
In the event you experience fever, cough, runny nose, rash, or any other symptoms of measles:
- Please self-isolate, stay away from others and contact your healthcare provider by phone and let them know you are concerned you may have measles. They will let you know when to visit their office so as not to expose others in the waiting area.
- If you do not have a healthcare provider and need to seek care, please contact the urgent care or hospital before visiting and let them know that you suspect measles.
Contact your healthcare provider or call the CCHHS Health and Wellness Clinic at (928) 679-7222 to review your situation and determine your eligibility to receive an MMR vaccination.
CCHHS will provide more information as the investigation continues.
Visit cdc.gov/measles/index.html for more information.
Pile Burning Planned March 7 – 31 in the Prescott Basin
Fire Managers on the Bradshaw Ranger District plan to conduct prescribed fire operations in the Prescott Basin (Senator Highway, Copper Basin, Walker Road, and Deering Park), burning debris piles from hazardous fuels reduction and thinning projects. Ignitions are planned to start on Thursday, March 7, and continue through Sunday, March 31, if conditions remain favorable.
Expect smoke impacts to be light and visible from multiple locations including Prescott, Prescott Valley, Chino Valley, and surrounding areas. As nighttime temperatures cool, smoke may linger in drainages and valleys. In the interest of safety, forest visitors are reminded to obey all traffic signs and use caution when traveling in the vicinity of prescribed burns as firefighters and fire-related traffic will be in the area.
Prescott National Forest’s land management strategy is centered on long-term forest health and includes reducing forest fuels and using prescribed fire on the landscape. Reducing hazardous fuels will help reduce the threat of high-severity, high-intensity wildfire to the public, adjacent private property, and communities.
The project also furthers the goals of the Forest Service’s national Wildfire Crisis Strategy to restore forests so they are less vulnerable to extreme wildfires that can risk lives and property; and impact watersheds and wildlife habitat.
All prescribed fire activity is dependent on the availability of personnel and equipment; weather; fuels; conditions that minimize smoke impacts as much as possible; and approval from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (www.azdeq.gov).
Messages will be posted on social media when prescribed fires are ignited on the Prescott National Forest:
- Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PrescottNF/
- Twitter https://twitter.com/PrescottNF
For fire information please call (928) 925-1111; or stay up to date on Prescott National Forest news by checking the Prescott NF website and following us on Facebook and Twitter.
West Escudilla Pile Burn planned on Springerville Ranger District
The Springerville Ranger District is planning prescribed fire pile burns across 500 acres within the West Escudilla pinyon-juniper treatment units. Encroaching junipers were thinned to decrease tree density and canopy cover, and to prevent regrowth of new juniper to restore the fuel type to grassland, its original fire regime. A ‘fire regime’ is the term given to the general pattern in which fires naturally occur in a particular ecosystem over an extended period of time.
Winter is an optimal time to burn piled slash and woody debris because snow on the ground keeps the fire from spreading to adjacent vegetation. Recent weather has provided ideal conditions and fire managers will look for opportunities to initiate burning between March 4 and March 31, 2024.
The project area is located 10-15 miles southwest of Springerville-Eagar. Smoke from these prescribed fire pile burns is expected to be minimal but may impact Highways 60 and 180/191 and the communities of Springerville-Eagar. Drivers are cautioned that visibility may be reduced, especially in the overnight hours when smoke settles near the ground.
Each prescribed fire is designed to accomplish specific objectives and is managed with firefighter and public safety as the highest priority. Fire managers use prescribed fire to improve forest health, remove hazardous fuels, increase firefighter safety, enhance wildlife habitat, and protect communities and watersheds. Landscape treatments on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests align with the Forest Service's 10-year Wildfire Crisis Strategy, which aims to increase the use of fire on the landscape and other treatments to improve forest health.
Air quality information is available at https://www.airnow.gov/. Visit the A-S National Forests website and follow us on Facebook and X (Twitter).
A map of the West Escudilla pile burn March 1 2024.jpgPre-Wildfire studies reveal significant threat in watershed above Flagstaff
Two recent pre-wildfire studies from the Coconino County Flood Control District confirm that there is a significant wildfire and post-wildfire flood threat in the Upper Rio De Flag Watershed above Flagstaff, with potential to cause substantial economic impacts to the region.
Spanning 21,500 acres on the western side of the San Francisco Peaks, the Upper Rio De Flag Watershed is a heavily forested area comprised of steep slopes and drainages that feed into the Rio De Flag—Flagstaff’s primary waterway. In 2022, the Pipeline Fire burned a small portion of this watershed above Schultz Creek and caused significant post-wildfire flooding across the state highway and residential areas downstream, but much of the Upper Rio De Flag Watershed remains vulnerable to wildfire.
“Future wildfires must be expected,” said Lucinda Andreani, Coconino County Flood Control District Administrator. “We commissioned these two pre-wildfire studies to quantify our level of risk, inform our potential response strategies, and importantly, provide us insight on how to proactively reduce our risk of catastrophic wildfire through forest restoration.”
The first study—a burn severity and post-wildfire flood analysis from JE Fuller Hydrology and Geomorphology—generated flood models for several different burn scenarios of possible wildfire in the Upper Rio De Flag Watershed. This study detailed the full potential for severe and repetitive post-wildfire flooding through the Rio De Flag, which runs from Fort Valley through Downtown Flagstaff and potentially beyond. In some areas, this study showed post-wildfire flows up to 31 times greater than current conditions and floodwaters up to five feet of depth in residential and commercial areas. Nearly 2,000 homes, over 400 businesses, two state highways, and numerous public facilities were shown to be at risk of post-wildfire flooding in the burn scenarios modeled by this study.
The second study—an economic impact study from Northern Arizona University’s Economic Policy Institute—used the data from the JE Fuller study to calculate the potential economic impact of wildfire and post-wildfire flooding in the Upper Rio De Flag Watershed. This calculation included everything from wildfire response and remediation to structure damage, lost property value, business interruption, habitat loss, long term recovery costs and more. According to this study, wildfire and post-wildfire flooding in the Upper Rio De Flag Watershed could result in $535 million to $2.8 billion of economic impact. This calculation is conservative and based on one single flood event.
“Since its inception in 2017, the Coconino County Forest Restoration Initiative has been committed to applying the best available science in the pursuit of forest restoration n our county,” said District 2 Supervisor and Chair of the Board Jeronimo Vasquez. “These studies represent an advancement of that commitment and a continued focus on our county’s top two public safety threats: Wildfire and post-wildfire flooding.”
“It’s a matter of ‘when’, not ‘if’ we will see a wildfire in this region,” said District 1 Supervisor Patrice Horstman, whose District boundaries encompass much of the Upper Rio De Flag Watershed. “Knowing what we do now, there is no time to waste in pursuing forest restoration and other actions that can reduce our level of risk. We look forward to working closely with the U.S. Forest Service and other partners to address the threat in the Upper Rio.”
When it comes to the forest restoration needed in the Upper Rio De Flag Watershed, “We’re not starting from zero,” said Coconino County Forest Restoration Director Jay Smith. “The Coconino National Forest has already begun some forest restoration treatments in the area, and the District has been laying the foundation to develop regional forest restoration for years.”
To that end, Coconino County recently received an ‘A’ rating as a Bioeconomy Development Opportunity Zone a metric administered by Ecostrat to indicate where there is opportunity to develop industry around biomass, such as the wood that would be removed in forest restoration operations.
“This rating will help attract more industry partners to accelerate the forest restoration needed in the Upper Rio as well as in the Four Forest Restoration footprint,” Smith added.
On March 5 representatives of the Coconino National Forest with join the District in a follow-up presentation to discuss the plan for forest restoration in the Upper Rio De Flag Watershed. Information on how to attend this meeting and access the recent presentation from February 27 can be found at: www.coconino.az.gov/104/Board-of-Supervisors.